Daughter of Light
by JesrinOngorvad
Summary: After more than a year of conflict with the Heartless and the Organization, Sora and his friends have finally found peace and rest on Destiny Islands. But with enemies as persistent as theirs, will their peace last? Will their safety endure?


**Disclaimer: I do not own ANY of the awesome Kingdom Hearts material, although I honestly wish I did. :)  
**

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**Daughter of Light**

"Why do you fear the darkness, Sora?"

Sora started. Where was that voice coming from? Was it from inside of him? From without? From somewhere beyond, in the darkness of the abyss…?

...

"Why do you fear it?"

"I have never feared it," he heard himself respond. It was his voice, but had he spoken those words?

Insubstantiality. A dream. Maybe a nightmare. But not reality.

This was all inside his head.

"You deceive yourself," the voice hissed. It was sibilant and guttural, like a snake crossed with a bass drum….

...

"I've learned to overcome my fear. I've learned not to let it control me."

"Then why are you afraid for her?"  
Sora's heart skipped a beat. Yes. He did care for her still. That girl with the beautiful brown hair and those kind, blue eyes. But was he worried for her? Was he worried for her safety? Was he worried that one whisper of darkness would carry her away forever?

"Now you understand," the voice intoned.

"Thinking of you, wherever you are. We pray for our sorrows to end, and hope that our hearts will blend…."

It was Kairi's voice now, speaking in his head. Sora closed his eyes. He saw her face there, looming before him in the abyss. There was a sadness in it that he couldn't understand. A sorrow. A regret. A tear, twinkling as it slid down her cheek.

"Kairi…." Sora whispered. He reached out his hand, but she was gone. When he opened his eyes, a wave of heat beat him back. He had landed in a desert.

Dunes, as high as buildings, cascaded into the horizon. The wind stirred little eddies of sand and sent them tumbling down slopes in marvelous dances. The land vibrated with the intensity of the heat. Everything was as dry as stone. The sand burned Sora's skin. It was a wasteland.

"Why… why did you bring me here?" Sora gasped. He had a sudden thirst for water and his head was throbbing with pain.

"I cannot give you the answer."

"Why not?"

The voice gave an audible sigh. "You've never been a patient young man, have you?"

Sora jumped to his feet, the realization dawning on him. "Hey! You're that voice that spoke to me. You know, when I first Awakened in the abyss? You told me that I was going to vanquish the darkness. Are you that same voice? That same guide?"

A pause. Then, "I am that voice."

"Now tell me, why can't you give me an answer?"

"Because in a journey of self-discovery, _you _must do the discovering. I cannot do it for you."

Sora scoffed. "Is this always the way you work?"

"I don't expect you to understand everything now. Things are complicated enough as they are."

"That's why I need an answer!" Sora cried. He kicked his foot into the sand in exasperation and grunted. It wasn't enough to completely distinguish his anger, but it was a start.

"You've a hotter head than Donald Duck, Sora," the voice said with humor.

Sora frowned and thought. Why had the voice brought him here? Was it because of his fear for Kairi's life? That she would be swept away without warning again? That the darkness would claim her heart as it had done before? Was he here to do away with that fear, or to act on it and take the necessary steps to protect her?

"I'm here because I'm afraid, right?"

"Yes."

"Then what do you want me to do about it?"

"Act."

"In this desert?"

"You are hopeless, Chosen One."

Sora clenched his fists. "I don't have anything to work with! Give me _something_!"

Gut wrenching pain. Sora was seized by fingers of iron and hurled to the ground, tumbling down a steep decline and stopping in a sizable depression. He groaned. His insides were burning like fire, his head a furnace.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" Sora screamed, doubled over and clutching his stomach.  
"Pain, Sora! Do you understand pain?"

"I know it hurts, yeah!"

"You misunderstand me! _Why _do we feel pain, Sora? Why do we feel it?"

"_I don't know_! Should I? That's a question people have been asking _forever_…!"

"There! That is the answer! _You don't know_. Now tell me, Sora; why are you here in this desert?"  
"_I don't know that either_!"

"Now we're getting somewhere!"

Sora spat at the ground and stumbled to his feet. His face was covered in sand and sweat now, and little beads of sand were nestled in his hair.

"No, we haven't gotten _anywhere_…."

"Don't you understand? None of this means _anything_."

"And how does this affect me and Kairi's safety, exactly?"

"Learn to live with things you don't understand. Learn to live without understanding _why _bad things are happening to you. For every occurrence, there is a purpose, even if it doesn't seem like it. If you don't learn this now, these next few days will break your spirit and your resolve."

Sora felt a pang of fear. "What's going to happen to Kairi…?"

"You cannot ask me such a question. You must awaken, Sora. You cannot stay here any longer…."

"_What's going to happen to Kairi_?"

_Everything. Gone._

A light blinked into existence overhead, spinning like a disc. It began to grow in size, slowly. Now, it was a sun. A source of light for those plagued by darkness. As Sora opened his eyes, he found that this light was the world itself. The world of the living.

The world where sleepers are never welcome.

He was lying by the window, where he had fallen asleep the previous night. A fresh breeze was blowing in through the open pane, gently brushing against his face. Sunlight fell through the other window on the end of his room, illuminating the clothes scattered across his wooden floor. Behind him, his candle guttered and died with the advent of a strong breeze. His curtains were moving back and forth in rhythm with the wind. Back. And forth. And back. And forth….

"You look exhausted, Sora!"

Sora turned his head. There, propped up against the windowsill, was Riku, his grey hair undulating in the breeze. He had a gentle smile on his face, and his eyes twinkled with a quiet strength. Even after all he had been through, Riku was still as strong and immovable as ever. Sora admired him for that. Everyone on Destiny Islands did.

"No sleep?" Riku asked. He spun his legs into Sora's room and, with a perfectly executed summersault, rolled over Sora's bed and onto his floor.

"Bad dream," Sora replied, sitting up and scratching his head.

"You have a lot of those," Riku observed, smirking.

Sora managed a smile. "I just… just can't believe that we're back, you know? After everything we've been through together, we're _finally _home."

"Doesn't seem right, does it?" Riku replied. "I know what you mean. I felt this really weird feeling of emptiness inside me when we came back. Kind of like the way I felt when my heart was overcome by darkness. Except that it's heavier now than it ever has been."

"You're not feeling that because we're home, Riku. You're feeling that because some wounds never heal."

Riku's eyes looked distant when he said, "Yeah. No going back."

Sora turned his eyes to the Keyblade, lying on the other side of his room. It was propped against a shelf of books, flashing in the morning sunlight. "Ever."

Sora twisted his legs over the side of his bed and ran his hands through his hair. "Have you seen Kairi lately, Riku?"

"Can't say that I have. I think her father's been a bet protective of her since she got back. He hasn't let her leave her house, and no one's been allowed in to see her."

"I'm sure he'll let me in," Sora said. He stood, grabbed a pair of shorts off the floor and slipped them on. He threw a t-shirt on, donned a jacket, and stepped into his favorite pair of yellow sneakers before going to the window. "You coming?"  
"In a while."

"Sorry. Shouldn't have phrased that as question. Let me repeat myself: You. Are. Coming."

Riku grinned. "I have a few matters I have to tend to, Sora. Run along. I'll catch up with you later."

Sora shrugged. "Suit yourself." He ducked out of the window and jumped to the ground below. He didn't say anything, but in reality, he was concerned about Riku. Riku never behaved in such a detached way unless something was on his mind.

"That's what darkness does to us all," Sora muttered to himself. "Changes us. Never lets us turn back to the days when we were young and innocent."

Sora set out at a run. The feeling of wind against his face was refreshing, reviving his vigor and his spirit. It felt good to actually be _doing something_. Now that his toils against the powers of darkness were finally over (for now), Sora knew that he needed a purpose. Something he could strive for. And running was a perfect start to finding this purpose.

Sora couldn't help but glance at the sun hovering over the water. It looked startlingly beautiful this morning, sending sheets of golden light into the ocean. The ocean reflected this light in a startling array of sparkles and twinkles. It hurt Sora's eyes, but he loved looking at it. He had a new appreciation for light and beauty after all he had been through. Whenever he had a chance to look at a sunrise or a sunset, he took it. He never knew, after all, whether or not it would be his last chance to see it. Darkness had a way of striking at the least expected moment. _Best to enjoy it now_, Sora thought, _while it lasts_.

Now he was on the beaches. Sora wasn't afraid to confess that he _hated _the sand. It was coarse and grainy and burned his feet when the sun was hot. It served no purpose except to fill his shoes and plaster his arms and legs. It was a pesky annoyance. Nothing more.

_Learn to live with that which you do not understand_….

Best to start living by that maxim now….

Sora's thoughts turned from sand to Kairi. Her house was only a few hundred feet away now, down the beach. After a brief jog, he was at the doorstep, knocking against the door with a brass knocker. The door cracked open, and a man—gruff and old-looking—peered out from within.

"You need something, boy?"

Sora opened his mouth to speak, but he was at a loss for words.

"Speak!"

"I—I wanted to see Kairi, Sir…."

An instant later, the door was shut.

_Success! _Sora noted the sarcasm in his thoughts with grim dissatisfaction.

He knocked again. The door opened again, but this time, the man didn't peer out. He crossed the threshold and laid Sora flat with a sound punch to the nose.

Sora wiped his nose with his sleeve. Blood. Everywhere. He turned from his arm to the man panting above him and said, "What was that for?"  
"Stay _away_ from here, boy!" the man cried, rubbing his stubbly chin in exasperation. "Never talk to her again, do you hear?"

"Sir, I have reason to believe that she isn't safe…."

"Isn't safe because she's with you, that's why! Do you realize how worried I've been?"

"I'm sure you've been worried, but I've only ever tried to protect her…."

"But you've got her mixed up in this Heartless and Organization nonsense now, and she's a target," he fumed. "She's been taken _twice _already!"

"Neither time was my fault!" Sora cried.

"_I don't care_. You were involved. That's all that matters. Stay away from her!"  
"She's going to be taken again, Sir! I know it! And I need to protect her! Do you want to lose her again?"

The man paused, his chest heaving. He considered this for a moment. Then he shook his head, grey locks flying about his face. "Liar. You'll pull out all the stops to see her. But I'll not be your dupe. I'll not buy into your deception. Never come back here! If I see you on this doorstep again, your nose won't be the only thing bleeding!"  
The door slammed, and the man vanished inside. Sora could here Kairi's faint voice protesting inside, but the man's shouts and yells overpowered her. Seconds later, silence.

Did that stop Sora?

Not a chance.

He crept around the side of the house, taking care to avoid the windows. Kairi's room was at the back of the house on the second floor, with a door that opened out onto a balcony. Sora assessed the situation and thought for a moment; how could he get onto that balcony?

Then he saw his chance. Since Kairi had moved to this part of Destiny Islands years ago, a tree had grown up at the back of her house. It was a beautiful palm, sporting massive leaves that gleamed in the sunlight. Sora devised a plan; he would scale this tree and, with a small jump, would land on Kairi's balcony. He sighed. A long shot? Yes. Worth the risk? An even bigger yes.

Sora shimmied up the tree—he had done it hundreds of times before when he was little—and stopped when he was a few feet from the top. The balcony was behind him now, but the banister was just out of his reach. Try as he might, he could only brush his fingertips against the wood. He couldn't get a grip.  
_Awfully aggravating. Guess I'll have to jump_, he thought.

He positioned himself, one hand hanging at his side, the other holding onto the tree. He propped his right leg and relaxed himself. Closed his eyes. Thought of Kairi. Once settled, he drew himself back, took a deep breath, and leapt.

For a moment, there was nothing.

Then, wood. A banister. In his hand.

He clambered over the side and fell on his back, breathing heavily. He closed his eyes and rested for thirty seconds. Then he got to his feet and knocked on Kairi's door.

Like a flash of light, she appeared. Sora had forgotten how beautiful she looked. Brown locks framing her delicate features, skin as soft as grass in spring. Eyes of the deepest blue. A smile like the ocean during sunsets. A white dress that fell about her form with graceful beauty.

She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. A moment later, she was in his arms.

He held her close, stroking her hair and kissing her forehead. She wept. He could feel her tremble against his chest. He wept, too.

"Sora..." she cried. "I'm… I'm sorry about my father…. He just wants to protect me…."

"Shh," Sora urged, stroking her back. "You don't have to apologize."

"I wish I could've seen you all this time. How long has it been?"

Sora removed her from his embrace and held her at arm's length, hands on her shoulders. "Far too long. Maybe a month?"

"Why didn't you come earlier?" she said.

"Haven't had the chance. Been helping out with some work around the island," Sora replied.

Kairi frowned.

"I'm sorry."

She relented. "Don't be."  
"Are you alright?"  
Kairi shook her head. "No. I've felt empty without you. We've been through so much…. It just didn't feel right. Hold me, Sora."

And he did. Out on that balcony, in the morning sunlight, with the waves crashing against the shore, they rested in each other's arms. In that moment, they forgot everything. Their troubles. Their futures. Their pasts. Their fears. In that moment, it was only the comfort they gave one another. Only the comfort.

If Sora could have remained in that moment forever, he would have. But after a time, he remembered the reason why he went to Kairi in the first place. His tone grew solemn as he said, "We need to talk about something, Kairi."

"What is it?" she replied, now concerned.

"I had a dream last night…."

"Another one? You have a lot of those."

Sora grinned. "Yeah. I know. But this one was important. The voice told me that you were in danger—that something was going to happen to you. And, frankly, I'm afraid for you, Kairi. I'm afraid that you're going to be taken away again, just like last time."

"The voice? What voice?"

"It's hard to explain…."

"Did it actually tell you anything bad was going to happen?"  
"Not directly, no, but it was implied…."

Kairi's lips curved in a sad smile. "I appreciate how much you care about me, Sora, but who else can hurt me now? You defeated the Heartless. You defeated the Nobodies. Who's left to take me?"

"There's always someone trying to hurt other people," Sora said, his voice growing softer.

"If we live in fear of those who want to hurt us, do you think we will ever truly be able to live?"

Sora ventured a look into Kairi's eyes. There was a womanly wisdom there that he had never seen before. A strength. An adamantine resolve. It gave him hope again, looking into those eyes. Maybe their troubles really _were _over. Maybe the dream _just that_….

Just a dream.

Kairi took Sora's hand in hers and led him over to the edge of the balcony. She laughed. "I forgot how beautiful this place is. Don't you remember what the sunset was like, the night before the Heartless came?"

Sora closed his eyes. He could picture it vividly in his head. Orange light. Calm waters. Kairi at his side. The prospects of high adventure and discovery before them. It made him feel sad, remembering that youthful age in his life. But he got a certain pleasure from it. A certain satisfaction.

"Too well. I remember it too well."

"Like it was yesterday?"

"Like it was yesterday."

Kairi closed her eyes and leaned out over the edge of the balcony, extending her arms. A breeze from the ocean passed over her, and she sighed. Sora did the same. It was a feeling like no other. A feeling of freedom. Of relief. The final realization that evil had been defeated, and that peace and tranquility could reign.

"Are you still afraid now, Sora?"

Sora shook his head. "Not anymore."

"Good."

Then Sora got the craziest impulse he could ever remember getting.

He lowered himself on one knee, took Kairi's hand, and said four of the most loving words a person can ever say: "Will you marry me?"

In that moment, Sora's entire world hung on that one question. His future happiness. His love for Kairi. His _life _itself. All of it hanging on those four words.

What seemed like ages was, in reality, only a few seconds. Kairi, it seemed, had known her answer for a long while.  
"YES!"

Then they were embracing again.

It was the happiest moment Sora could remember.

Followed by the saddest.


End file.
